The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The leaders of Bangladesh Small Jute-traders and Jute-growers Association (BSJJA) yesterday called upon the growers and traders not to sell raw jute to the state run Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation ( BJMC) until it clears the outstanding dues amounting to Tk 140 crore to the growers and small traders.

They gave this call at a representative conference at the Jatiya Press Club. Industrial Affairs Secretary of Awami League Col. (Retd) Faruque Khan was chief guest at the conference while former President of Dhaka University of Teachers' Association

Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, Agriculture Affairs Secretary of Awami League Dr Abdur Razzaque spoke at the programme as special guests.

They said the jute traders will go to the court if the jute mills under BJMC fail to make the long overdue payment to them.

BJMC owes to this huge amount to about 5,000 growers and small jute traders. Of the amount, Tk Tk 105 crore remains outstanding for the year 2005-06 and Tk 22 crore for the year 2006-07.

The unpaid bill of the Adamjee Jute Mills, which was closed down in the 2001 stood at Tk 11 crore.

Harun-ur-Rashid, general secretary of BSJJA, alleged that BJMC has been buying jute from the new growers and traders without clearing the outstanding bills of the old traders and growers.

He gave a very poignant account of the miserable lives of the poor jute growers and traders for the non-payment of their long outstanding dues.

He urged the government to solve the problem and make fresh allocation for buying jute this year with cash payment.

Harun suggested formation of a national commission comprising jute growers, jute traders, workers,economists, government officials and representatives of society to identify the quarters responsible for destroying the jute sector .

Faruque Khan said that non-payment of the outstanding dues of the growers and small traders amounted to violation of the constitution. If the government becomes " bill defaulter" how it will take action against loan defaulters, he asked.

He called upon the government to allocate Tk 300 crore to save the jute sector.

Abdur Razzaque regretted that when the jute mills in our country are being closed down one after another on the advice of the World Bank and donor agencies new jute mills are being set up in India.

He blamed the mismanagement and lack of concrete policy for ther present pitiable condition of our jute sector.

AAMS Arefin Siddique was of the view that "ill advice " of the World Bank and IMF was responsible for the debacle of the jute sector in our country.

BSJJA vice president Nurul Islam Chowdhury, Shamim Ahmed Morol, Sheikh Al Jafar, Assistant Secretary Basir Ullah, Rejaul Karim, Kartik Shah, among others, addressed at the conference.